Starching-machine.



No. 680,774. Patented Aug. 20, I901.

W. HESS, JR.

STARGHING MACHINE. (Application filed Mar. 18, 1699. Renewed Mar. 18, 1901.) (No Model.) 2 She elsSheet I.

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N0. 680,774. Patented Aug. 20, I90]. W. HESS, JR. STARCHING MACHINE.

(Application filed Mar. 18, 1899. Renewed Mar. 18, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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In yazzfa 2'1 pulleys and roll are fixed on the shaft.

lhviTnp hTaTns PATENT @rrroa XVENDELL HESS, JR, OF TROY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE INTER- NATIONAL MAOHINERY (30., OF SAME PLACE.

STARCHING- -MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 680,774, dated August 20, 1901. Application filed March 18, 1899. Renewed March 18, 1901. Serial No. 51,731. (No model.)

To 00% whom it may concern.-

-Be it known that I, WENDELL HESS, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Troy, county of Rensselaer, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Starching-lvlachines, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to such improvements; and it consists of the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and subsequently claimed.

Reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, and the letters of reference marked ghereon, which form a part of this specifica- Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several figures.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a side elevation of my improved starching-machine. Fig. 2 is a view, partly in cross-section on the line 2 2 in Fig. 1 and partly in elevation, with the case for the charging-roll removed. Fig. 3 is atop plan view of one of the carrier-platforms detached.

A is the main supporting-frame of the machine, provided in its upper end with suitable supportingbearin gs for the shaft A. The shaft is provided with the driving-pulleys A one on each end of the shaft, and on its middle portion with the charging-roll A The The roll is inclosed, except at its lower side, by a case A into which cold laund ry-starch is fed, as at the inlet A to supply the roll with starch in any known manner.

B is a tilting frame pivoted upon the crossrod A, which is rigidly supported by the main frame. endless chain belt provided with a plurality of individual fabric carriers or platforms P, P P P P P P and P adapted to be carried by the beltsuccessively past the charging-roll,as will be more fully explained. Each one of the carrier-platforms is mounted upon a pair of cross-rods B, the ends of which are each provided with a friction-roller B adapted to travel in the trackways B formed on the inner sides of the oppositely-disposed sections a b of the tilting frame. The cross-rods B are connected with each other by the links B and B to form an endless belt or chain around The tilting frame supports an i the tilting frame, the ends of the thicker and shorter links B being interposed between the ends of the thinner and longer links 13 as seen in Fig. 2. The lower sides of these links are toothed to form a plate-gear adapted to mesh with the gear-wheel B fixed upon the cross-shaft B which has its hearings in the main frame. The shaft B is also provided with a fixed gear B adapted to mesh with the gear B fixed upon the hub B rotary on the cross-rod A The rotary hub B is provided with the driving-pulley B fixed on the hub, all as fully shown in Fig. 2. When power is applied through the pulley B the endless belt or chain is caused to travel about the tilting frame, and as the toothed links pass by the gear B they come into a common horizontal plane corresponding with the horizontal position of the trackways B in the tilting frame, located on the upper side of the frame and just above the cross shaft B whereby they are in the proper position to be effectively engaged by the gear 13 as before described. The platforms are maintained at a considerable distance from their supporting cross-rods by legs P The lower ends of the legs are secured to the cross-rods and the upper ends of the legs are secured to the lower part of the platform, which is preferably a metallic plate P, as by the countersunk screw-bolts P The plate P 9 is covered by a rubber sheet P of considerable thickness to form a yielding embedding platform adapted to carry the goods to be starched past the charging-roll. The rubber sheet is provided with the edge flanges P adapted to inclose and bear upon the edges of the metallic plate on all four sides.

Myimproved machine is especially adapted for starching shirts, and the platform-supporting legs are curved inwardly from the ends toward the middle of the several platforms, as seen in Fig. 1, to facilitate the operation of drawing a shirt on over one end of the platform, as seen at S in Fig. 1.

It is not desirable in starching a shirt to apply the starch to any part of the shirt except the bosom, neck and wrist bands, and a very small portion of the contiguous portions of the shirt-body. The platforms are for this reason preferably made of a size and shape to correspond with the size and general form' of the shirt-bosoms to be starched or to the size and form commonly given to shirtbosoms. The body part of the shirt falls below the platform or extends beyond the ends of the charging-roll and is not charged with starch. The wristbands S are brought up over one end of the platform onto its upper surface, as seen in Fig. 1, where they are engaged and charged with starch by the charging-roll. The wristbands are held securely in place while passing the roll by the pressure of the contiguous ends of the platforms upon each other while in a horizontal position,

which position they assume while passing the charging-roll.

O is a lever fulcrumed at G upon the main frame, with its short arm bearing upon the lower side of the cross-rod C in the tilting frame and its long arm provided with a Weight C The weighted lever is continually pressing the rear end of the tilting frame upward, and the platforms as they successively engage the roll are thereby forced upwardly against the roll. This pressure can be varied by varying the position of the weight on the long arm of the lever.

The operation of my improved starchingmachine is as follows: Power being applied to the driving-pulley, the platforms are carried around the tilting frame and successively brought into engagement with and pressed against the charging-roll, which is rapidly rotated. Each platform during each of its circuits of the tilting frame passes from the vertical position of P, Fig. 1, to the horizontal position of P just before coming into engagement with the charging-roll and from the horizontal position of P to the vertical position of P just after leaving the roll. While the platforms are successively passing from the position of P to that of P an attendant at the forward end of the machine draws a shirt over the upper end of the platform and adjusts the bosom and wristbands in proper position on the platform to be engaged by the charging-roll, and while the platforms are successively passing from the position of P to that of P an attendant at the rear end of the machine removes the starched shirts from the platforms. Power is applied, through the pulleys A to impart a high rate of periph eral speed to the charging-roll. The peripheral speed of the charging-roll is preferably several hundred times greater than the surface movement of the platforms past the roll. By forcing the platforms against the roll with a yielding pressure greater uniformity of pressure is obtained, being approximately the same on relatively thick portions as on relatively thin portions of the goods. The amount of starch inserted into the goods will depend upon the pressure between the carrier and the roll, the surplus over and above the desired amount being forced out by the pressure.

The art of starching fabrics by means of a smooth roll driven at a high rate of speed is more fully explained in an application for United States Letters Patent filed by me October 13, 1898, and given the Serial No. 693,421.

When desired, each carrier-platform may be provided with laterally-projecting shields D, adapted to receive the body portion of the shirt, which hangs down below the platform, and protect such part from contact with other parts of the machine.

In Fig. 2 the platforms are shown provided with such shields, which are omitted from Fig. 1 for convenience of illustration.

The members a b of the tilting frame are each provided with an enlarged aperture cl, through which the shaft B loosely passes, and which permit a rocking movement of the frame on its pivotal support A.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a starching-machine, the combination with a charging-roll, and means for imparting to the roll a comparatively high rate of peripheral speed; of an endless belt provided with a plurality of individual fabriccarriers successively cooperative with the charging-roll; and means for imparting to the belt a comparativelylow rate of peripheral speed, substantially as described.

2. In a starching-machine, the combina-- tion with a charging-roll, having a smooth surface, and means for imparting to the roll a comparatively high rate of peripheral speed; of an endless belt having a plurality of carrier-platforms severally provided with a yield ing surface and successively cooperative with the charging-roll; and means for imparting to the belt a comparatively low rate of speed,

substantially as described.

3. In a starching-machine, the combination with a charging-roll, and means for imparting to the roll a comparatively high rate of peripheral speed; of an endless belt; a plurality of individual fabric-carriers secured to and movable with the belt and cooperative with the charging-roll; means'for imparting to the belt a comparatively low rate of speed; and means for producing a yielding pressure between the roll and the several fabric-carriers, substantially as described.

4. In a starching-machine, the combination with a charging-roll rotary in stationary bearings; of a tilting frame; an endless belt supported by the tilting frame; a plurality of fabric-carriers secured to the belt and movable with the belt and frame into cooperative engagement, successively, with the charging-roll; and means for imparting a tilting pressure to the movable frame,whereby pressure is obtained between the carriers successively and the charging-roll, substantially as described.

5. In a starching-machine, the combination with a charging-roll, and means for imparting to' the roll a comparatively high rate the belt a comparatively low rate of speed,

substantially as and for the purpose set forth. IO

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 17th day of February, 1899.

WENDELL HESS, JR. Witnesses:

Gno. A. MosHER, FRANK G. CURTIS. 

